Portuguese 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
0 comments 
Billion-dollar investment in Missouri expands the competition for data centers in the United States and reinforces how artificial intelligence, cloud computing, energy, and water have come to occupy the center of the strategy of the world’s largest technology companies.
Amazon announced on Monday (15) an investment of US$ 10 billion to build a new data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, USA, in a project aimed at cloud computing services.
With the new structure, the company intends to expand the infrastructure used by digital applications and systems linked to artificial intelligence, while reinforcing its presence in a region that is expected to receive energy, water, and road access works.
The venture is expected to open more than 400 permanent jobs in data center operations, according to the company, in addition to generating thousands of temporary positions during the construction phase of the facilities in the American state.
-
OpenAI accelerates the race for the post-cellular future with several acquisitions in the first few months of 2026 and bets $6.5 billion on the startup of the former iPhone designer to create the device that could challenge the reign of smartphones.
-
Goodbye traditional washing machine: LG surprises and launches a version with up to 18kg capacity that detects dirt with AI, eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, washes giant comforters, and completes full cycles in just 39 minutes without taking up more space.
-
China builds in the desert the world’s tallest sand and gravel dam, a giant 247 meters high, the height of an 80-story building, pouring enough material to fill 7,560 Olympic swimming pools and investing around R$ 6.2 billion to tame 1.1 billion m³ of water in Xinjiang.
-
Space can pull the human brain away from Earth’s reality: without the anchor of gravity, astronauts enter an extreme state of consciousness, see the planet floating in the void, and experience sensations compared to psychedelics.
During the announcement, representatives from Amazon, the local community, the economic development sector, and utilities participated in a press conference to present the project and its expected effects on Montgomery County.
According to local estimates, the campus is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new property tax revenues over the next 25 years, increasing the revenue available for public services and regional infrastructure.
Investment reinforces competition for AI infrastructure
Amid the advancement of artificial intelligence, large technology companies have started competing for more computational capacity to support digital services, process large volumes of data, and operate models that require servers, networks, and energy on an increasing scale.
In this scenario, data centers have become central structures for activities such as cloud computing, streaming, remote work, hospital records, and financial transactions, areas mentioned by Amazon when explaining the purpose of the new campus.
The expansion, however, also increases attention on energy and water, two sensitive points in projects of this size, especially in regions that need to balance economic development, the cost of public services, and pressure on local resources.
To reduce this impact, Amazon stated that it worked with Ameren Missouri to prevent the costs linked to the new campus from being passed on to the energy bills of other consumers in the region.
In addition to this negotiation, the company reported having invested in a carbon-free energy project in Missouri, with a capacity of 138 megawatts, aimed at expanding the local energy supply in the long term.
According to the company, this generation would be enough to supply more than 28 thousand homes, a figure used by Amazon to gauge the reach of the energy project associated with the new campus.
Water and energy become central to the project
In water supply, Amazon reported that it will finance the necessary infrastructure for the construction and operation of the facilities, with plans to donate the system to the Montgomery County Public Water Supply District No. 1 after the completion of the works.
The measure, according to the company, will have no cost to the district responsible for local supply and is part of the planned structure to enable the operation of the data center campus in Montgomery County.
Another area mentioned by the company involves cooling the facilities, as data centers need to control the temperature of the equipment to keep servers running continuously and reduce operational risks.
According to the estimate released, the campus data centers should use external air cooling most of the time, while the use of water for this purpose will occur in 7% of the year or less.
During the hottest periods, when water is needed for cooling, the project should rely on rainwater collection to meet about 20% of the site’s annual demand.
Amazon also states that the water will be reused six times in an internal recycling system, a mechanism presented as part of the strategy to reduce pressure on supply during operation.
Missouri government sees regional impact
The governor of Missouri, Mike Kehoe, stated that the announcement represents new opportunities for Montgomery County and the surrounding region, due to the volume of investment and the expected job creation.
In his assessment, projects of this magnitude can support infrastructure improvements, increase revenues for schools and public services, and lay the foundations for future economic growth in communities directly affected by the installation.
David Zapolsky, Amazon’s global director of Legal Affairs, highlighted that the company has been operating in Missouri since 2017 and currently employs more than 10 thousand state residents.
According to the executive, the investment reflects the company’s strategy of listening to local communities, maintaining a long-term presence, and building partnerships before advancing with large-scale ventures.
In addition to the campus, Amazon announced community commitments associated with the project, including more than US$ 7 million in local contributions for initiatives in Montgomery County.
Among the planned actions are resources for emergency services, support for science and technology education programs, and the creation of a new community fund aimed at local projects.
Campus expands Amazon’s presence in Missouri
Before the new investment, Amazon already maintained distribution centers, delivery stations, Whole Foods Market units, and a solar farm in Missouri, comprising a diversified operation in the state.
According to the company, its presence in Missouri contributed more than $9 billion to the state GDP since 2010, a value used to measure the accumulated economic impact of the company in the region.
With the Montgomery campus, the company reinforces an area considered strategic for the digital economy, at a time of high demand for cloud, artificial intelligence, and large-scale online services.
The planned positions include electricians, HVAC technicians, project engineers, network specialists, operations managers, and security professionals, roles related to the construction, maintenance, and operation of the facilities.
The detailed construction schedule and start of operations were not disclosed in the consulted sources.
Be the first to react!